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To Sar, with love

Sarvesh

Famed for its snow-clad mountains, perennial rivers and picturesque valleys, Himachal Pradesh draws young adventure-seekers who come in search of serenity.

My friends and I decided to hike along the Sar Pass trail which showcases the many splendours of the Parvati Valley. Our base camp was Kasol, which is known for its cool climate and tall pines and is conveniently linked to Kullu via Bhuntar by road. Abou t 4 km away is Manikaran, a pilgrimage centre famous for its hot-water springs. Regular bus services connect Kasol to Chandigarh and other parts of Punjab.

We spent the first two days acclimatising and, as a sort of warm-up, went rock-climbing and tried some exhilarating river-crossings in groups of four.

On the third day we left for Grahan, which is about 9 km away and situated at 7,700 ft. The trek to Grahan, a small hamlet with 40-50 houses, takes about four hours.

Our trekking expedition continued the next day and we reached Bara Thach, a beautiful camp at 8,900 ft, which offers a magnificent view of the snowline.

Our next destination was Ming Thach, at 10,700 ft, and the seven-hour trek was very strenuous. It was raining at Ming Thach but we managed to glimpse an unusual sight -- sunset amidst pouring rain. Both Bara Thach and Ming Thach are rich in flora and fau na.

From Ming Thach, we set off on a 9-km climb to Nagaru (12,500 ft). Nagaru Thach literally means `ice-cold land' and the spine-chilling night we encountered amidst a raging storm was ample proof of this.

We were up at three the next morning and left for Sar Pass by 5 a.m., hoping to cover as much ground as possible before sunrise as the road becomes slippery and dangerous after that.

At Sar Pass we saw a magnificent array of snow-clad mountains -- Kohle Pass, Chowdhar Top, Hanuman Tibba, Deotibba, Indrasen, Dhopo Glacier and Dhara Thach Top to name a few. From Hanuman Tibba, we had to literally slide across the pass to Biskeri Thach on the other side. We moved on to Bhandak Thach, where we camped for the night. Sleep eluded us, however, as the sight of snow-clad mountains on a moonlit night had cast its spell... Tomorrow would take us back to our routine lives and we wanted to make the most of the magical present...

On our return, we trekked down to Barsheni road-head where we caught a bus to Manikaran and hitch-hiked to our base camp at Kasol. The next day, we grudgingly made our way home.

Fact file

How to get there

By air: The nearest airport is at Bhuntar which is connected by regular bus services to Kasol, the base camp.

By rail: Two broad-gauge railheads at Chandigarh and Pathankot are linked to Jogindernagar (150 km from Kullu). There are buses from Kullu to Kasol via Bhuntar.

By road: The Delhi-Kasol route is via Chandigarh. Himachal Road Transport Development Corporation operates an extensive network of buses in the region.

When to go: This is a summer trek. If you are an amateur and wish to join a group, contact

Youth Hostel Association of India

5, Nyaya Marg

Chanakya Puri

New Delhi - 110021, India.

Phone: (011) 687 1969, 611 0250

Fax: (011) 611 3469

E-mail: yhostel@del2.vsnl.net.in

Where to stay: Himachal Tourism runs a number of resthouses and trekking camps at all major halts.

For details, contact

The Director,

Department of Tourism,

Government of Himachal Pradesh,

Block no. 28, S.D.A. Complex,

Kasumpti,

Shimla.

Phone: (0171) 225864

Note: Seasoned trekkers wishing to go on their own must seek special permission either from the Forest Department or the Himachal Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation.

Further, this is an environment-friendly trek. Carrying non-biodegradable material is an offence under local laws. If you find plastic bags or other non-biodegradable litter along the trek route, remember to collect and deposit them at the base camp.

Picture: A magnificient array of snow-clad mountains at Sar Pass.